Underwater viewers



3 5 0 3 1 9 SEARCH Ream 1959 G. E. VERNIER 2,911,878 I UNDERWATER VIEWERS Filed Oct. 14, 1957 -3 j "(W LA Herr.

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GEORGE E.VERNIER ATTOR N United States Patent UNDERWATER VIEWERS George E. Vernier, Fair Haven, Mich.

Application October 14, 1957, Serial No. 690,048 8 c1. 88-1) My invention relates to underwater viewers of the type comprising an elongated tube structure having an eyepiece and a viewport at respectively opposite ends, and more particularly to an underwater viewer constricted to conform with minimum viewing dimensions.

Tubular type underwater viewers, particularly when constructed of any great length, sufler from being too buoyant in the water, making them diflicult to handle. Adding weight can help this situation, but then the weight and bulk makes it difiicult to carry them around out of the water.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the buoyancy of underwater viewers by providing a tubular structure constricted to minimum viewing dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to improve underwater viewers by constructing a. tubular structure converging from the eyepiece and the viewport ends toward a constricted intermediate portion.

A further object of the invention is to improve underwater viewers by providing a tubular structure having a constricted intermediate portion arranged to permit viewing by each eye of an opposite half of the viewport.

For a clearer understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in which like parts are referred to by like reference characters throughout the several views and in which Fig. 1 is an elevational side view of a preferred viewer construction.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the method of developing the viewer of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the viewport portion of the viewer of Fig. 1 illustrating a preferred construction.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a modification taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another modification taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

The preferred viewer comprises a tube structure 10 having an upper tube member 10a and a lower tube member 10b. A preferably substantially elliptical eye piece member 11 is secured to the upper end of the tube member 10a, and a preferably circular viewport assembly 12 is secured to the lower end of the lower tube member 10b. The two tube members 10a and 10b converge to and are joined at an intermediate crosssectional portion 13 preferably formed in cross section as a rounded-end rectangle as shown in Fig. 5.

The particular dimensions of the tube structure 10 are dependent on the size and shape of the viewport 12, the size and shape of the eyepiece 11, and the desired length of the structure.

Patented Nov. 10, 1959 In developing the dimensions of the tube structure 10, reference may be had to Fig. 2, in which L and R respectively denote the left and right eyes of an average observer, the dimensions from L' to R indicates the diameter of the viewport, and C denotes the center of the viewport diameter.

Heretofore such viewers have been constructed to enclose substantially the space included within the perimeter LRLR. However, for the present invention, lines of sight are constructed from L to L, L to C, R to R, and R to C, such that the view from each eye crosses to take in the opposite half of the viewport. Where these lines cross, at X and Y, the intermediate crosssection 13 is constructed, with the width equal to the dimension XY and the length equal to the dimension XY. Thus the viewer is constructed on one longitudinal plane to include the area LRY'LR'X approximately and on a perpendicular plane to include the area LRYL'R'XL approximately, discounting the elliptical shape of the eyepiece.

Having a circular viewport 12, the intermediate portion 12 is approximately rectangular so that the views from each eye will meet at a major chord. As indicated in Fig. 6, the left eye thus views the dotted line area CR and the right eye views the dotted line area CL. This construction plays an optical trick on the observer, since he cannot look at the same point with both eyes, and his vision from one eye crosses his vision from the other. However, the only disadvantage would be that depth perception is impaired, which is immaterial for the purpose the viewer is used. The observers mind of course straightens out the crossed right line feature so that to all intents and purposes the observer senses complete vision of the entire viewport with both eyes. It is ap parent that the disclosed construction encompasses approximately /3 less volume than a viewport having an overall perimeter LRLR on all longitudinal planes, thus decreasing the displacement of theviewer in the water to decrease buoyancy.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate other embodiments of the invention using the same essential principle. Fig. 7 shows a substantially square viewport section 30. The constricted intermediate portion 13 in this case will be constructed as asquare-cornered rectangle in cross section having a length XY and a width XY, such that the viewing areas of the left and right eyes of the observer are respectively approximately denoted by a CL and CR, in sum substantially including all of the viewport viewing area. The tube 10 of this viewer would thus be constructed with an elliptical top end converging toward a rectangular cross-section and a square bottom endconverging toward the same rectangular cross-section. This construction will possibly be easier to fabricate, particularly the lower tube member 10b.

Fig. 8 shows an elongated rounded-end viewport 31. The constricted intermediate portion 13 in this case will be constructed as a circle in cross-section having a diam eter'slightly larger than XY, such that the viewing areas of the left and right eyes of the observer are respectively approximately denoted by the overlapping circles CL and CR, in sum including almost all of the viewport viewing area except for small portions on the centerline C at the edges of the viewport 31. The tube 10 of this viewer would thus be constructed with an elliptical top end converging toward a circular cross-section and a substantially larger elliptical bottom end converging toward the same circular cross-section. The advantage to this construction is that the displacement of the entire tube 10 is considerably more reduced while the same viewspan in one direction is maintained.

A preferred viewport construction is illustrated in Fig. 3, and comprises a frame member 20 constructed to support a pair of spaced transparent viewplates 21, efiectively sealing off an airtight, watertight dry insulating airspace 22, so that water contacting the lower view plate 21 will not cause condensation or fogging on the upper viewplate 21. A seating ring 23 is sealed into the lower end'of the tube b, and an annular flange member 24 is threaded to be secured to the sealing ring 33 and retain the frame member 20 in place as shown. A gasket 25 is preferably disposed between the frame member 20 and the ring 23 to prevent water from entering the viewer.

Although I have described only one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure having at on end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer and at the other end a transparent viewport member, said tube structure constructed to converge from both ends toward an intermediate portion, same being relatively constricted in cross-section such that the lines of sight from the right and left eyes of the observer are constrained to cross approximately at said intermediate portion and are restricted to respectively left and right portions of said viewport.

2. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure having at one end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer and at the other end a transparent viewport member, said tube structure constructed to converge from both ends toward an intermediate portion, same being relatively constricted in cross-section such that the lines of sight from the right and left eyes of the observer are constrained to cross approximately at said intermediate portion and are restricted to respectively left and right portions of said viewport, said eyepiece being substantially elliptical in cross section, said viewport being substantially circular in cross-section, and said intermediate portion being substantially rectangular in cross-section and arranged such that the lengthwise axis thereof is substantially parallel to the minor axis of the eyepiece ellipse and such that a plane extending through the aforesaid axes passes through a major chord of said circular viewport. V

3. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure having at one end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer and at the other end a trahsparent viewport member, said tube structure constructed to converge from both ends toward an intermediate portion, same being relatively constricted in cross-section such that the left eye of the observer is enabled to view only through approximately the right half of the viewport and such that the right eye of the observer is enabled to view only through approximately the left half of the viewport.

4. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure having at one end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer'and at the other end a transparent viewport member, said tube structure constructed to converge from both ends toward an intermediate portion, same being relatively constricted in cross-section such that the left eye of the observer is enabled to view only through approximately the right half of the viewport and such that the right eye of the observer is enabled to view only through approximately the left half of the viewport, the cross-sectional area of said viewport being greater than the cross-sectional area of the eyepiece and of the constricted intermediate portion.

5. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure having at one end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer and at the other end a transparent viewport member, said tube structure constructed to converge from both ends toward an intermediate portion,

same being relatively constricted in cross-section such.

that the lines of sight from the right and left eyes of the observer are constrained to cross approximately at the intermediate portion and are restricted to respectively left and right portions of said viewport, the constriction of said tube structure being developed by extending lines of sight from each eye of the observer to the respectively opposite halves of said viewport, said tube structure being constructed and arranged to enclose only the approximate volume included by said lines of sight.

6. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure having at one end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer and at the other end a transparent viewport member, said tube structure constructed to converge from both ends toward an intermediate portion, same being relatively constricted in cross-section such that the lines of sight from the right and left eyes of the observer are constrained to cross approximately at the intermediate portion and are restricted to respectively left and right portions of said viewport, said viewport comprising a frame member, a pair of spaced transparent viewplates secured to said frame member and enclosing a watertight dry airspace, and a peripheral flange member constructed to secure said frame member to said tubular structure.

7. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure.

having at one end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer and at the other end a transparent viewport member, said tube structure constructed to converge from both ends toward an intermediate portion, same being relatively'constricted in cross section such that the lines of sight from the right and left eyes of the observer are constrained to cross approximately at the intermediate portion and are restricted to respectively left and right portions of said viewport, said eyepiece being substantially elliptical in cross section, said viewport being substantially square in cross-section, and said intermediate portion being rectangular in cross-section and arranged such that the lengthwise axis thereof is substantially parallel to the minor axis of the eyepiece ellipse and such that a plane extending through the aforesaid axes passes through a line dividing said viewport into two rectangles of substantially equal areas.

8. An underwater viewer comprising a tube structure having at one end an eyepiece adapted to accommodate both eyes of an observer and at the other end a transviewport being ovoid in cross-section, and said interme-' diate portion being circular in cross-section, and said cross-section being arranged such that a plane extending through the minor axis of the eyepiece ellipse and through the diameter of the intermediate portion circle passes through a center-line extending across the narrow dimension of the viewport ovoid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PAT NTS 804,996 Anthony Nov. 21, 1905 1,515,065 Milliken Nov. 11, 1924 2,404,556 Wirth July 23, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 971,182

France June 28, 1950 

